A Chocobo Stable
by ladyashethealchemist
Summary: The Phon Coast brings back memories... (Another younger!AshexBalthier transferred over from my wattpad) Written by request for a friend!


Here, have some younger! BalthierxAshe fan fiction! The dialect in the first scene is word-for-word from the Phon Coast scene in the game, minus the few lines at the end which I took a bit of liberty with( I marked that point with a *). After that scene, however, it's all me.

* * *

They had finally reached the Phon Coast. Balthier fell back alongside the Princess. She huffed and started to step forward when she tripped over her own two feet.

Balthier stuck his hand out quickly and let her regain her balance. She simply glared at him slightly and started to try and catch up with their other companions.

"Why the Capital?" Balthier asked to stop her.

The princess was silent for a moment. "The nethicite, I must destroy it."

"Are you sure? You don't want it for yourself?" He asked. Soon enough, he knew he would get his chance to say what he need say. "Use its power to restore Dalmasca- Something like that? The best intentions invite the worst kind of trouble."

"Lusting for ever greater power… Blinded by the nethicite. Is that how you see me?" The princess turned to face him.

Now, finally, he would get to say what need be said. She needed to remember. He prayed that she would've caught on by now and figured out who he was. But she hadn't, and he needed to give her these hints.

"That does sound like someone I know." He walked to the edge of the water, noticing that the princess had followed him as planned. " He was obsessed with netichite. It was all he cared about. He'd babble nonsense, blind to aught but the stone's power. He'd talk about some 'Eynah,' or was it 'Venat'? No matter. Everything he did, he did to get closer to the nethicite, to understand it. He made airships, weapons… He even made me a judge."

He heard the princess let out a little gasp. "You were a…a judge?"

* "Part of a past I'd rather forget. It didn't last long. I ran. I left the judges… and my Father, Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, Draklor Laboratory's very own doctor Cid." When he turned around, and the princess still hadn't caught on, he continued.

"So I ran, free at last…but all this running and I still got nowhere. It's time to end this, to cut my ties with the past. Come now Princess, haven't you figured it out yet? Haven't you figured out who I am?"

* * *

_Ffamran Bunansa, Archadia's youngest judge, had been sent along with the Judge Magister Garbranth to settle a dispute over which country owned a bit of territory._

_At the age of sixteen, Ffamran wished to being seeing the world instead of being trapped into his position. He wished to fly airships and have adventure. But his life was full of politics._

_He had heard he would get to meet the Crown Princess of Dalmasca at this. He pictured her to be some dull girl who listened to whatever her father told her to do._

_Yet, she was not. At least, as far as he could tell. She had rather interesting opinions in the debate over the land. In fact, she had made the most sense._

_"I believe we have reached an agreement? King Raminas addressed him and Garbranth._

_Garbranth nodded. "We shall be on our way then."_

_"Oh please stay!" The young princess blurted out quickly. "We are, after all, hosting a ball tomorrow. Besides, Father, didn't you say that Archadia had not yet responded? They could serve as the representatives."_

_A Ball? Oh yes, the Emperor had mentioned that… He had planned on not sending anyone. But now that the princess had brought it up, he knew they would have to cover for the Emperor's rudeness._

_King Raminas looked thoughtful. "You are right. Would you two join us? I should have offered in the first place."_

_"We would be delighted. I'm sure our Emperor meant for us to stay, as an acceptance to your invitation." Ffamran spoke before his partner could answer. "Besides, I could do with some fine Dalmascan cooking."_

_He noticed the princess hide a laugh and he grinned. She really was not nearly as uptight as he pictured._

_"Then I shall have your rooms set up. And I am, of course, to then assume you two will be joining us for tea?" The king spoke._

_"Ffamran will be. I have other matters to attend to," Garbranth spoke quickly to the king. Ffamran nodded in agreement._

_The king motioned to one of the maids and she led the Judge Magister to his chamber._

_"Well, now that he's gone," Ffamran pulled off his helmet. "I can take this blasted thing off."_

_He saw the princess's eyes grow wide in realizing he was but a teen. It was a reaction he was rather used to by now._

_"You're so young!" The princess exclaimed._

_"Ashelia!" her father hissed._

_Ffamran smiled. "It's alright, Princess. I am used to such exclamations. Yes, I am young, only sixteen. However, I am just as suited as all the other men given the same title as me."_

_"How fascinating! You must tell me more," The thirteen year old spoke cheerfully._

_He smiled. "We can talk over tea."_

* * *

_King Raminas had gotten called off on a matter of something or another, and had to leave his daughter and the young Judge after tea._

_"Would you care to see the Chocobo stables? I have quite a few," Ashe asked. He could tell she had never had anyone her age around to speak with, and her child likeness was coming out from under her regal act._

_"Sure, Princess," Ffamran laughed. "It is nice to actually act our age for a while isn't it? I'm sure you are trapped in as many tiresome meetings with old men as I am."_

_Ashe giggled. "Exactly."_

_She pulled him along to path to the Chocobo stables._

_"This one is my favorite," Ashe picked up a small chick. "She just hatched."_

_Ffamran grinned as the chick picked at the princess's hair. "She seems to like you too."_

_He watched the princess kiss the chick's head and set it back by its mother. "Well, I spend all my free time out here with them, so I hope she would!"_

_Ffamran smiled softly as the princess went on about her birds. She sure wasn't what he expected when he first heard he would meet Dalmasca's crown princess. He had expected a drab, boring girl who spent her time reading manner books and sewing. Instead, here was a girl full of life and roughhousing with her pets in a Chocobo stable._

_And to be honest with himself, he found her rather pretty. She was still young, but he could tell she would fill out nicely. He hadn't meant to stare at the sandy blond with the grey blue eyes, but he found himself captivated by her more as he watched. After all, he always had a thing for blondes._

_He saw the princess blush and he realized then that she had noticed his staring. "Yes, well, perhaps we should head inside. I am sure your guards are wondering where you are at."_

_The girl nodded in response._

* * *

_The ball was a rather spectacular event. Ffamran noticed that, and that he and Garbranth were, in fact, the only two Archadian's present. He himself would not mingle with the people there. Instead he would find himself a nice seat and remain there. He hated these political get-togethers._

_He turned his head only once to the stairwell, and that was when the princess was announced. He stared rather obviously at her in the rose colored dress she wore. She smiled widely seeing him there and made her way to him._

_"Care to dance, Ffamran?"_

_He grinned. Dancing with her wouldn't be so bad. But that would be his extent where it came to interacting._

_He spun her around the dance floor, smiles on both their faces. Had he known how much fun dancing could be, he would have taken up the offer to dance more. But, he supposed it was only fun because of the girl dancing with him._

_Ffamran spun her outside onto the balcony. He grinned as he saw her flushed cheeks._

_He felt a pressure on his right hand and noticed that Ashe had grabbed onto it. He blushed lightly._

_He blushed deeper still when she stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek._

_"Thank-you for spending time with me," she smiled at him._

_"It was my pleasure," he replied with a small bow._

_She giggled and his grin grew wider._

_"Excuse me," a voice cut in. A younger male had come outside as well. "Might I have the next dance with the Princess?"_

_"Oh, hello Rasler!" Ashe turned back to Ffamran. "I had better go. Thank-you once again!"_

_He just stared after her as she was pulled away. He was head-over-heels for her, and falling faster with each move she made._

* * *

_Eighteen. He was an adult. Free at last! And this would be the year he ran. He had managed to figure out the security code to get into the hanger of the tester ships, and he had his eyes on the Strahl._

_Ffamran, however, had one last task he was willing to complete. He was being sent back to Dalmasca, to deliver something to the King. He had been told that this document was of the most urgent sort. Yet, that was not what was on his mind. No, he was thinking of the Princess, who he hadn't seen in two years._

_He was flown into the city, and escorted to the Palace. Making his way to the throne room, he bumped into a familiar face._

_"Oh, I am sorry!" Ffamran's stare was met with a pair of grey blue eyes. "Wait, Ffamran! Is it really you?"_

_"Hello, princess," The man smiled. He had been right when he had guessed she would fill out well. She was stunning now._

_She hugged him lightly. "How have you been these past two years?"_

_"Well enough, I suppose." He said. He was thinking of his father's descent into madness he was witnessing first hand, the reason he was running._

_"Ashe!" a voice called. Ffamran recognized that voice. "Oh there you are! And who might this be?"_

_"Rasler," Ashe laughed. "Don't you remember Judge Bunansa? He was at the ball two years ago?"_

_"Ah, yes. Well, come now dear. The dress fitters are having a fit."_

_Dear? Dress fitters…?_

_Ashe suddenly grinned. "Oh yes! That's what I was going to tell you. Lord Rasler and I are engaged!"_

_He was surprised and… jealous? But that was surely silly! He hadn't seen this woman in two years, and even when they had been together, they weren't 'together'. No, she had been a child when they met. Yet that feeling of jealously crept over him._

_"That is pleasant to hear. Now," he said rather curtly, "I must deliver this and then be off."_

_He kissed the princess's hand. "Goodbye, Ashe."_

* * *

_The life of a sky pirate suited him well. And today would be the best day for plundering. After all, there was a wedding going down in Dalmasca's royal city._

_Two years ago, he had left his life behind and started new. He was now a sky pirate, and had found himself a loyal partner. Fran was the brains of the operation, and he was the leading man. But they worked well together._

_When he had insisted on being at the wedding, Fran had thought nothing of it. But Ffamran, or Balthier as he now went by, had his own motivation. He had to see her in a wedding gown. He knew she would be lovely._

_His infatuation with the Lady had lasted much longer than expected. He still thought of her often, and could feel those lips brushing his cheek._

_Stealing into the wedding was easier than expected. He thought they could really do to pick up on the security._

_He trained his gaze on the beautiful woman making her way up the aisle. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Seeing her in that dress made him reach up to his face where she had left that kiss. Yet once she was met by Rasler, he couldn't take it. He stood up and left._

_He was followed by Fran. "What troubles you?"_

_"Its nothing. Nothing I can help anyway. So come now, the coat room is back that way, and I am sure these royals carry quite a bit on them. Come on!"_

_He saw Fran's confusion, but that didn't matter. He had to get out of there._

_He had to run from reality. She wasn't, and never would be in past or future, his._

* * *

"Ffamran!" She gasped. "You became a sky pirate? And you changed your appearance, although I feel rather stupid for not seeing it was you sooner. Streaked hair and piercing should not have been that great a disguise."

He chuckled. "But that was the point, Princess. I was not supposed to be recognized easily."

"But why didn't you tell me it was you from the start?"

Balthier sighed. "I was worried as to what your reaction would be."

Ashe giggled. "Well, it is strange to think you and 'Ffamran' the same person. But I must admit, Balthier is a bit more fun."

He smiled slightly but gave no response.

Now, it was her turn to sigh. "Look, I realize now my mistake. I did like you as well, but Rasler and I were practically taught that we were to be together."

He felt that same pressure on his right hand as he had once before. The princess repeated what she had seven years ago, except this time she lightly brushed his lips.

"I should have known it was you sooner, because all this time I felt as if I'd known you. I am sorry for treating you like dirt… I guess I let my royal upbringing cloud my judgement."

He turned and stared into her eyes. "I still care about you deeply. And all I ask is that you tell no one else about my past, or our past. Please, Ashe?"

She nodded. "Of course, Balthier."

"Thank you. Now," his personally suddenly regained its leading man tone. "We had best join the others before they wonder what happened."

The two walked over to the other party members, each lost in thought.

She thought of a boy many years ago with chestnut hair and a willingness to listen to her and take note of her interests. She thought of a small Chocobo charm she had found in a hall where she bumped into a man, and glance she had taken of a man exiting the chapel on her wedding day. She thought of her first mistake, and how she never planned to cause him such hurt again.

He thought of a girl talking fondly of Chocobo's. Of sandy blond hair and those trusting grey blue eyes, which now were tinged with sadness and loss. He thought of her cheerfulness, now hidden and possibly lost. He thought of a gift for her he had lost in surprise. He thought of her now, set on restoring her honor but hurting herself on the way. Yet he knew that in time, he could help her heal.

After all, Ffamran had finally been reunited with his Princess.


End file.
